Title

APWCA2009 - Apr 04, 2009

Author(s)
 

Presented at: Philadelphia, PA

Background
Treating wounds in an active pediatric population presents special challenges. Pain relief, both during dressing changes and between, greatly enhances compliance. Dressings must conform well to wound surfaces to prevent contamination during at times exuberant activity. The toxicity of substances used in cleansing or dressing the wound is a big concern, because young children more easily absorb chemicals through the skin and their immature organs are less able to cope with them. Brisk healing is a major asset as well. Flexible non-toxic polymeric membrane dressings decrease wound pain by inhibiting nociceptor activity, and their non-adherent design usually makes dressing changes painless as well. They contain a built-in cleanser, so no manual wound cleansing is usually needed, allowing for minimal disruption of new growth and quick and easy dressing changes. Glycerol in the dressings soothes and hydrates dry wounds while super-absorbent starch takes up excess wound fluid, resulting in ideal moisture balance. The dressings concentrate the bodys natural healing nutrients in the wound bed, safely supporting very rapid wound healing.

Methods
After initial cleansing/debriding, polymeric membrane dressings were applied to exposed wound surfaces and changed when saturated.

Results
Pediatric wounds, many of which had been chronically infected, stayed clean and healed quickly when polymeric membrane dressings were used. The dressings and changes were comfortable to the children, leading to good compliance.

Conclusion
Polymeric membrane dressings met all the challenges presented by pediatric patients at our clinic and quickly became our dressing of choice for acute and chronic pediatric wounds.